This is the second time this has happened over the past 2 months. I've developed some very dry skin that starts at the base of one ear and wraps down/under/around my entire jawline. It's not my entire neck - it mostly wraps in a line around my face. My makeup/brushes never touch that area and I haven't changed facial products recently, so I'm totally puzzled as to what I could be doing that caused this. I'm wondering if anyone has ever gotten a similar reaction due to food intolerances/allergies?
(Background: I've been diagnosed with Celiac Disease for several years and am very strict about the diet. Sensitive to soy. No other known food allergies/intolerances)

http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/celiac-disease-affecting-millions-of-americans-often-goes-undiagnosed-692131907739
This was on last Tuesday. So happy that a popular national news program is spreading good information!

I am so angry. I am all about universal screening for Celiac Disease. It is a tricky disease to diagnose. Your only symptoms may be joint pain, depression, or weak nails, which people will try to cure with medication or a good manicure. With roughly 80% of the Celiac population remaining undiagnosed, universal screening could save thousands of lives.
This article popped up in my twitter feed regarding US physicians who are unsure whether universal screening would provide “health benefits” for those who exhibit no symptoms (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-celiac-screening-idUSKCN0XU2G6?utm_content=buffer3ed50&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer)
First of all, no symptom is a symptom! There is something called “Silent Celiac Disease”, and I personally know several people who have it. They experience no outward symptoms caused by gluten consumption, but their insides are being torn apart. If they eat gluten, they may not feel it, but they are highly at risk for long term complications such as cancer, miscarriages, and osteoporosis, just to name a few.
Also, let’s consider the non-GI related symptoms of Celiac. Doctors, how many times does someone walk into your office and say, “Gee, Doc, could you test me for Celiac Disease? I have (insert one of the following)”:
asthma
bladder infections
dental problems
dandruff
high blood pressure
headaches
blurred vision
leg cramps
back pain
pale skin
brittle nails
acne
bad bread
mood swings
ADD
Anxiety
Depression
a short temper
night terrors
panic attacks
irrational anger
sinus pressure
Those are just a few of the symptoms that people don’t think to associate with Celiac Disease, and I’m sure that you, Mr. Doctor, will not test someone with Celiac Disease if they have dandruff. This is why so many people are undiagnosed! People do not recognize the symptoms and doctors won’t think to give them a blood test.
This is why I always say – You cannot know that you do not have Celiac Disease until you get tested.
“One concern with widespread screening is that biopsies aren’t risk-free and may confirm cases of celiac disease that weren’t causing problems for patients and didn’t necessarily require treatment, Krist noted.”
WHAT?????? First of all, most Celiac screening starts with a gene test or a blood test. That aside, ALL confirmed cases of Celiac Disease require treatment!! Untreated Celiac Disease can cause many problems in the future.
“Guidelines for gastroenterologists recommend celiac screening for people with a close relative with celiac and for diabetics who are at increased risk for the disease, Murray said by email.”
I was the first person in my family to be diagnosed. 80% of Celiacs don’t know they have it. I would have never been diagnosed if my gastroenterologist said, “Well you don’t have diabetes and no one in your family has it….” No one in my family had heard about Celiac Disease, let alone had been tested for it. And we have all of the tradition GI symptoms.
This is not a rare disease. About 1% of the population has Celiac Disease. Take a look at your facebook friends list – have 500 friends? Odds are that you know four or five friends with Celiac. MAYBE one of them will be diagnosed. Maybe. The others will be suffering in silence.
“The USPSTF, a government-backed independent organization that reviews medical evidence, issues recommendations that are closely watched by doctors and insurers. This is the first time the USPSTF has weighed in on screening for celiac disease, and the task force will accept public comments until May 30 before releasing final guidelines.”
This brought me to the USPSTF website.
In their draft, here is what is listed as “Potential Harms” of screening in asymptomatic populations. I’ve included my response:
False positive – there are rarely false positives
Unnecessary serologic tests and biopsies – umm…only do a biopsy if you have a positive blood test. And what’s so bad about a blood test?
Anxiety of complications from testing – I had much more anxiety in my pre-Celiac days, not knowing if I would poop my pants at work.
“Some patients with positive serology who do not undergo histologic confirmation may embark on efforts to avoid dietary gluten, which can increase costs and burdens and may result in decreased quality of life” “– I’m glad that you think my life is so terrible.
“Limited evidence from long-term followup studies have shown that some persons with biopsy-confirmed celiac disease may never develop symptoms or complications” – I’m not going to risk getting cancer, are you???
The USPSTF is taking public responses to their draft, all of which must be submitted by May 30th. I highly urge you to write in and explain why universal screening is important. My Celiac diagnosis saved my life. If universal screening can do the same for a huge portion of the population – I am all for it. This could be the most important thing you do for Celiac Awareness Month.
Read the draft and write to the USPSTF here.
http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/Page/Document/draft-recommendation-statement150/celiac-disease-screening

Well, that is just wheat. Their bars/squares might be wheat free, as well, but the culprit there is barley.
Also I just got this reply:
For legal reasons the information that has been provided is the only information we are authorized to provide you with.
To reiterate, our products are not certified as being gluten free. FDA requires products to be tested to confirm that gluten level is below 20ppm. Currently, Ghirardelli products have not been tested to this requirement and therefore, we do not make any gluten free claims for our products.
Sincerely,
Ghirardelli Consumer Services

Hey guys,
I emailed Ghirardelli to ask about their updated allergen information because I had heard that people stopped recommending most of their products. I was specifically asking about their chocolate chips because my understanding is that they are free of gluten and not made on the same lines as that one bar/square that contains barley. This is what I received back:
"Thank you for contacting Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. We appreciate your interest in finding out about the ingredients in our products and your interest in a gluten free product.
At this time we do not offer any "gluten free" products, but appreciate your interest in seeing whether Ghirardelli offers one. Our products are not certified as being gluten free. FDA requires products to be tested to confirm that gluten level is below 20ppm. Currently, Ghirardelli products have not been tested to this requirement and therefore, we do not make any gluten free claims for our products.
Please reference the ingredient information, on our packaging for any Ghirardelli product that you are interested in, to determine if it is suitable for you.
Please know you are a valued consumer and we do appreciate your interest in our products.
Sincerely,
Consumer Affairs Response Team"
I asked them to please clarify - are your products testing over 20ppm? Or you don't test them at all? I also asked about the lines that the chocolate chips are made on because the ingredients do not indicated any problems. The customer service rep sent me the exact same message back with one of the lines underlined. I emailed again, and they don't seem to want to disclose any more information.
Has anyone else had any luck talking with them lately? Insights on the chocolate chips?

From Mom (she doesn't have a computer at the moment, so thank you for being patient as I post for her):
Gemini, Do you take the chewable product as recommended. It appears to only have 300mg of calcium per day? That seems to be to little for someone with osteoporosis? I also saw a product they sell that is extra strength but not chewable which has more calcium per serving ?

From the mom:
Dear Gemini, thank you for your response. I have been to a bone specialist and he said I was loosing bone due to medication I was on. 2 years later with out the medication, following a strict diet, weight training and walking and taking supplements I lost more bone than with out the big push to stop the loss of bone. I would be happy to just stop loosing bone but in search of the answer. I thank you for sharing your solutions with me. I have been on plant based Calicum raw and organic but I will do tea search on HCHC. Also I have read that it is important to get k2 from Natto instead of synthetic K2 because of absorption. I have also read you need 100grams of K2 for each 1000 vitamin D you take. I don t know if this is true but I was directed to info in a book called vitamin k and the Calicum paradox. I wish you much luck in preserving your bones and hope I find a solution over the next 2 years.

From my mom-
Gemini thank you for your response. I seem to be in a similar situation except I broke a rib while leaning a weight bench. Even though I have been eating right And taking food based supplements I had a large loss of bone in my right hip. I am trying to come up with a new plan that will stop my bone loss. I am taking 200 k2, 1500 vitamin d and 1200 Calicum. Do you have a recommendation for any other kind of vitamins or brands? The doctors I have encountered here only want to bully me into prescription drugs and I don't feel comfortable with that. I am going to add 6 prunes to my diet to see if that will help and of course continue to exercise daily. Thank you for your help

Thank you all for the comments. A note from my mom (the one who I am helping with research):
I was diagnosed with osteoporosis 4 years ago. I was told my only option was to take one of the pharmaceutical drugs. I tried for 6 months and realized I could not do it after much research. I have been gluten free for 5 years and worked even harder at my diet, exercised 5 days a week and took whole food supplements. I just found out I have gotten much worse and my new doctors only option for me is pharmaceutical options again. I suffer from sever jaw pain already and fear I will be the small percentage that will suffer with that side effect. I have read several opinions that for someone like me HRT is an option. My general doctor is clueless in HRT as is my OBGYN. That is why I was asking what kind of doctor will prescribe the HRT and an idea of the dosage. I broke a rib and s foot with on one week and realize I must do something. I thought the source of my osteoporosis was medication I was forced to take for my jaw but I stopped that medication 2 years ago and then saw the big drop in bone density. I am 57 and think the cause is hormonal. Or my life long struggle with a gluten intolerance. I appreciate everyone's responses but I am in a serious situation and forced to educate my doctors. I was just looking for info to bring with me and I am also looking for someone in my area who can help me.

A family member of mine is fairly young (mid 50s) and was diagnosed with osteoporosis most likely cause by a lifetime of undiagnosed Celiac. The medication her doctors have her on only prevents further damage, it doesn't rebuild bone. Also, they will only let her be on it for 5 years because the meds will cause her bones to become extremely brittle and may eventually bread. This seems like a ridiculous medication. Has anyone found or seen any research on alternative treatments for osteoporosis specifically caused by Celiac?
thanks.

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Celiac.com was founded in 1995 by Scott Adams, author of Cereal Killers, founder and publisher of Journal of Gluten Sensitivity, and founder of The Gluten-Free Mall, who had a single goal for the site: To help as many people as possible with celiac disease get diagnosed and living a happy, healthy gluten-free life!